God Needs No Editors
Today’s reading: Matthew 28:1-15
About a year ago at a United Methodist Church gathering, I found myself in an impromptu discussion with three or four others about whether it’s good for churches to offer children a separate place to go during worship services.
As this chat went on, I remembered my own experience of visiting a church with my wife, her two great nephews in tow. The two boys had been immediately handed coloring books as we stepped into the sanctuary. And, as we settled in for the service, I noticed that the books were drawing their attention away from the pulpit. I quietly asked them to put the crayons away and close the books, and they quickly complied without a bit of resistance.
The sermon that day was about applying faith to one’s political choices (an election day was coming up soon), and I’m certain the boys understood very little of it. But they smiled delightfully throughout, and even giggled at appropriate times along with us adults in the pews.
After the service, they both asked when we would take them to church again.
We all visited the same church again a few weeks later and, this time, were met at the door by well-intended greeters who eagerly insisted the boys head for “Children’s Church” in another room.
They saw the other children in a doorway just ahead and bolted from our site. My wife and I had no chance of convincing them to remain with us.
I was never able to piece together exactly what happened during Children’s Church that day, but one of the boys was in tears when we returned after “our” service.
“I don’t think I ever want to go to church again,” the other boy said as we all rode home, his brother still sniffling next to him.
The consensus among my acquaintances in the conference chat was that Children’s Church is generally a good idea. Many “adult” services feature sermons on topics much too heavy for a child’s fragile spirit, and “sometimes preachers must even talk about sexuality!” one woman exclaimed. The others nodded their agreement.
As is often the case, I disagreed with this conventional wisdom. I say it’s never a good idea to “protect” a person — even a child — from the truth. And The Bible, certainly, is The Truth. Trying to be God’s editor is dangerous business indeed.
All of this comes to mind again today as I ponder today’s reading.
“After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” (Verses 12-14)
The motivation of this plan is unclear. It’s possible the priests simply wanted to protect their public from the shocking realization that it had made a terrible mistake about Jesus. Or, perhaps, the priests were truly of The Devil and were gearing for Evil’s eternal fight against Jesus.
But even if the former is the case, the wise old saying applies: the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The fact is, the priests attempted to be God’s editor, to hide The Truth from others.
And that, as it did with my wife’s young nephews, just turns people away from God. It is the opposite of discipleship.
Thanks be to God for the perfection that is The Truth. May I never be afraid to spread it widely.